The Forgotten Brother

by The Equestrian Tour

The Reunion

Equestria, a land of: green grass, blue skies and filled with pony civilians. Canterlot, a beautiful city, built by the hooves of earth ponies and populated by the magical unicorns. Inside the castle at the top of the mountain where Canterlot lies, resides the ruler of all Equestria, Princess Celestia, in her: big, beautiful, marble castle. The princess is inside preparing for her faithful student and her friends to arrive.

"Excuse me, may you please straighten that portrait?!" the Princess politely ordered a mare servant who was passing by.

"Right away Princess!" the mare acknowledged and began adjusting the portrait till it appeared straight.

The Princess grimaced, "Can you turn it a little to the left?" The mare moved it more left. Celestia shook her head, "To far, a little right!" The mare adjusted again, and Celestia once again was not impressed, "Left!"

The mare stepped away from the portrait and studied it, "Princess, not to go against you word, but this looks straight to me."

"Well it does not look straight to me!" the Princess raised her voice and it sounded like it went through a megaphone. "Now fix it!"

The mare bowed to hide her face, "Sorry Princess, right away!"

The mare turned around and was about to fix the portrait, when it became enveloped in a transparent black and sparkle filled wavy outline and moved a little to the left. Celestia and the mare turned around and saw another alicorn standing in the doorway entering the corridor, with her horn glowing. "Thank you Soap Bubble," the alicorn ended her spell and her horn and the portrait stopped glowing, and smiled, "You are dismissed."

"Yes Princess Luna." Soap Bubble bowed to Luna and then to Celestia, "I'm sorry Princess." She than ran out of the corridor.

The dark purple alicorn, then slowly walked to her twin sister, her black and dark purple mane flowed magically behind her, with no wind. "It has been a long time since you have used the royal voice," she stated.

Celestia exhaled and sad sigh, "I didn't mean to yell," she put her neck on her sister's as to show greeting, then withdrew it. She then looked at the portrait, "I just want everything to be perfect."

"Now dear sister, you have been working yourself rugged for three days preparing," Luna stated. "You almost missed you own sunrise this morning. You must take a break and relax."

"I know I must..." Celestia began to respond, but turned to the window directly behind her and looked out it. The window looked out into the royal gardens being lighted by the sun on a brilliantly bright day. She continued, "It just has to be perfect."

The purple alicorn studied the portrait and absorbed her sister's words. "A Family Reunion," Luna read the title of the painting and Celestia turned her head, but did not say a word. "The day that Nightmare Moon an: evil, jealous, deity, who wanted to shroud Equestria in eternal night..." Luna turned to face her sister and smiled broadly, "Became the: nice, friendlier, Princess of the Night, who raises the moon every night, but lowers it when it is time for the sun to bring a new day, Princess Luna."

Celestia gave a slight smile; "I know what you are trying to do..." she turned her head back to the window and observed the residence of the castle watering the royal flowers, and shining the marble walkways. "You and Discord may have seen the errors of your ways, but... He's a different story."

Luna watched her sister's brightly colored mane flowing in the same magical way as her's. "We've beat him before, and he hasn't had a chance to regain his magic, maybe he has changed."

"No!" Celestia snapped, and turned fully around to face her sister with a stern look. "He will never see this land again... Not as long as we are here."

Luna eyes grew wide, she had never been yelled at by her sister before. "You are right... It would be to risky too release him." Luna began to walk out of the doorway she entered, but then stopped, "I just wish all three of us were in that portrait," she then walked out of the corridor.

Luna's hoof steps grew feint and when they could no longer be heard, "Me, too," Celestia said to herself.

Celestia began walking to the other end of the corridor, when the sound of hooves approached the entrance behind her, "Princess Celestia, you highness!" a male voice called.

Celestia recognized the voice and turned around, "Yes, Golden Quill."

Golden Quill bowed, "Princess Twilight and her company have arrived."

Celestia frantically looked out the window and stared at the sun, "Its noon already?! Shoot!"

Golden Quill rose up. "Shall I tell them, to come back later?" he studied the white mare closely. "You look as if you need rest."

Celestia shook her head, "No, tell them I will arrive shortly."

"Yes, your highness!" Golden Quill bowed again then ran out of the corridor.

Celestia chuckled a little. She closed her eyes and her horn glew yellow, then her entire body became enveloped with the same hue, then the hue grew brighter, and brighter. The color faded to reveal a well rested-looking Celestia, "I still prefer sleep," she turned to the entrance Golden Quill and Luna entered and left in, and began to trot out of the corridor. "But a rejuvenation spell doesn't hurt once in a while."

"The Princess will be here shortly, us, Princess... She has to finish a task first," Golden Pen explained to the purple alicorn and her five friends.

"Do you know what task the task was," the Princess asked.

"I am not sure Princess Twilight, that..."

"Pleas call me Twilight," the Princess politely instructed.

"Oh, yes... Your highness, a thousand apologizes," the stallion bowed. "The Princess never mentioned what she was to finish... Come to think of it, she never really said she had to finish a task... She just said 'I will be there shortly', then I came here, and now I'm rambling, aren't I."

"Well duh," the blue mare with the rainbow mane agreed.

"Rainbow Dash!" the mare with the purple mane scolded.

"What? I'm just answering his question Rarity," Rainbow Dash defended.

"Now Rainbow, be nice," the light brown mare with the blonde mane tied up, to resemble straw being bailed together. "We're guest in this here castle, let's not be rude."

"Do you have any snacks?" the pink mare asked unexpectedly.

"Yes..." Golden Quill answered off guard. "Just straight down the hall the third door on your left..." He pointed down the hall. "But, wh..."

With that the pink mare took off, "Pinkie! Come back here!" Twilight ordered.

"I'll get her Twilight," the light yellow mare reassured her.

"Thanks Fluttershy," Twilight agreed. "But be back before the Princess gets here!"

"Sure," Fluttershy promised, and began to fly to the room that was promised to hold snacks.

Golden Quill threw his hoof in his face, and shook his head, his black and red mane waved with his shaking. "The Princess will not be happy with me. I haven't introduced myself, I'm letting you run about, hay!" he began to pace. "I haven't even offered you a seat. I'm a mess."

Rainbow Dash leaned closer to Twilight, "Wow Twi, he's perfect for you..." Twilight's eyes grew wide. "Hay, he even has the pace down perfectly."

Twilight's face grew red with embarrassment as her friends giggled at her. "You guys! I told you I'm not ready to find a stallion yet!"

"Relax Twilight darling. We're only playing with you," Rarity comforted.

"It may not be a bad idea to start looking for a stallion to help you, my faithful student," Celestia's voice came from behind Golden Quill, who stopped pacing and froze.

"Princess!" everypony said off guard and bowed, except Golden Quill who didn't move.

"Princess!" Twilight ran up to her former teacher and rubbed her neck on her's. "It's great to see you again."

"It's great to see you, too," the Princess returned the greeting and everypony stood up and she smiled. Celestia looked at them and smiled. "Where are Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie?"

"Snacks for Pinkie and Fluttershy went to check on her."

Celestia gave a soft chuckle, "Pinkie Pie is always hunting for her sweets." Her eyes wandered to her squire, "He froze again didn't he?"

"Does he always do that?" Rainbow Dash flew up to him and tapped him with her hoof and he didn't even flinch. She moved back a little in concern.

"I'm surprised he had a conversation with you," Celestia admitted.

"Well, why's that?" Apple Jack asked. "Is he snooty and uptight?"

Celestia chuckled again, "Not at all. He's just nervous around mares..." Celestia explained, "He rambles on and on, then he just sort of crashes when somepony catches him talking to a mare."

"Oh, that's cute!" Rarity admired and walked up to the statued stallion. "He finds one of us attractive," the rest of the girls blushed a little.

A stomach could be heard growling in the back, "Sorry ya'll," Apple Jack apologized. "I thought we'd be eating by now."

Celestia acknoledged the earth pony's statement, "Then we shall go and eat in the garden."

"Boy howdy! I can't wait to eat some of Canterlotian cuisine," Apple Jack rejoiced.

The mares began to walk to Celestia, but then stopped in front of Golden Quill who still stood there. "What are we going to do about your new statue Princess?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Celestia put her hoof up to her chin, "Well all you really have to do is this..." Celestia withdrew her hoof and pulled it back, then rushed it in a forward sweeping motion, smacking the stallion's flank.

"Whoa!' the stallion fell on his face. Rainbow Dash laughed, while the other three had looks of shock. Golden Pen pulled himself off the ground slowly, and looked at his Princess, "It happened again didn't it?"

"Yes," Celestia answered calmly. Her horn flashed and so did Golden Pen, who levitated to his hooves.

"One day I'll overcome you, you stupid obstacle." Golden Pen shook his hoof at the ceiling.

Celestia smiled and placed her hoof on his shoulder, "We can overcome fears later..." the Princess began, "But for now, let us feed our guests."

Golden Pen bowed, "Yes, Princess!" With that he ran into a castle hallway and disappeared.

"Is he always that... Uh, excitable?" Rarity wondered.

Celestia smiled, "Always has been, always will. Ever since he was young, he's always been like he is." Celestia sighed, and turned back to the mares, "Let's go eat!" They all rejoiced and Apple Jack began jumping like Pinkie Pie. "First, let us find Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy."